Celebrities Barbra Streisand Absolutely Can't Stand
Barbra Streisand is no doubt a Hollywood icon. She's even one of the few celebrities who has managed to become an EGOT winner, meaning she's received Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards during her decades-long career. The New York City native had found stardom on Broadway back in the early 1960s and went on to become one of word's biggest stars thanks to her acting, singing, and directing talents. When it comes to her success in anything show business, Streisand told the Harvard Business Review, "I've always needed to have a creative outlet, whatever form it takes. And when I am passionate about something, I take it on with intense commitment."
Despite her success, Streisand also got a reputation in the entertainment industry for being demanding and difficult to work with, seemingly because she would express her need for artistic control. Yet she just blamed that notion on the double standard all women face. "A man is commanding; a woman is demanding. A man is forceful; a woman is pushy ... A man is a perfectionist; a woman is a pain in the a**," she explained.
It's safe to say that Streisand has always been that honest and real throughout her life, even when it comes to her feelings toward other famous people. In fact, the "Funny Girl" star doesn't really hold back when it comes to who she doesn't like in her industry. So with that said, let's break down those celebrities who Barbra Streisand absolutely can't stand.
Barbra Streisand has blasted Donald Trump
If there's one person that Barbra Streisand has made absolutely clear that she despises, it's definitely Donald Trump. Streisand has been very vocal about her disdain for the reality star turned U.S. president and even made her 2018 album "Walls" reflective of her feelings towards him. She told The New York Times, "I would lie awake at night with Trump's outrages running through my head ... so I thought, why not make an album about what's on my mind?" Streisand particularly dissed Trump on her first single, "Don't Lie to Me," admitting to The Associated Press, "I just went ballistic."
Streisand didn't stop there either since she continued to publicly criticize Trump when she had the chance, like when she parodied him at a 2019 concert in New York City. The "Memory" singer did so by singing the song "Send in the Clowns" but changed the lyrics to reflect Trump, according to EW. Then in 2020, Streisand wrote a whole column for Variety on why Trump had to be defeated in that year's election. "He's a one-man weapon of mass destruction ... so reckless that he almost started a war," she dished.
Even after Trump was voted out of office, Streisand carried on bashing him on Twitter, considering that she often expresses her disgust with his various claims. For example, in June 2022, she wrote that he was a "serial liar," and later in that December, she tweeted, "He is delusional and clearly unfit for the Presidency."
Barbra Streisand had a years long feud with Larry Kramer
You could say that Barbra Streisand hasn't liked playwright and gay activist Larry Kramer for years, despite adoring his 1985 play about AIDs called "The Normal Heart." It appears the two had issues working together after Streisand bought the rights to his script to adapt into a film. That's because, in 2011, they both blamed each other for why it didn't get made. Streisand, for one, told EW that Kramer was "stubborn and self-destructive." She explained, "Larry only wanted to use his screenplay. I couldn't have my hands tied artistically." Kramer responded by claiming that Streisand wanted the character she would play to have a bigger role than the gay characters whom the play was about.
Streisand wasn't going to take that and later blasted Kramer on her website by revealing that he had rejected HBOs offer for the project after major studios wouldn't do it. "Larry held out for the money. I didn't. Why not advance your cause?" she wrote, per EW. Kramer again turned it on Streisand by calling her a "hypocrite" for not making a film that would help gay rights.
Streisand defended herself, and it seemed the feud was over since Kramer made the movie with Ryan Murphy. Yet in 2014, Kramer called out Streisand again by telling The New York Times that she had found gay sex "distasteful" when discussing putting it in their film. She denied that, per Us Weekly, adding, "There's no need to fight me by misrepresenting my feelings."
Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau despised one another
Fans of the movie "Hello Dolly" may be surprised to learn that Barbra Streisand and her co-star Walter Matthau despised each other during filming back in 1969. Yet it seems it was Matthau who started the feud. "Barbra — The Way She Is" author Christopher Andersen explained to CBS News, "He hated Barbra Streisand ... She was running the show. She was telling the director, Gene Kelly, how to direct that movie." According to the book, "Roadshow!" Matthau even admitted, "I told her to stop directing the f**king picture."
The two would apparently even get into arguments on set, which escalated into some pretty nasty insults. "There was a blow-up in which I also told her that she was a pip-squeak who didn't have the talent of a butterfly's fart," Matthau recalled. He added, "To which she replied that I was jealous because I wasn't as good as she was." Streisand clearly had no problem giving it right back to Matthau, with The Telegraph reporting that she once brought him a bar of soap, saying it was "for your old sewer mouth."
Things got so bad that Matthau eventually couldn't be near Streisand unless they were filming and boycotted kissing her for a scene. However, it appears Streisand had remained professional despite Matthau continuing to throw shade at her over the years. He seemingly felt bad over time because he later admitted it was his fault and attended a private concert at her home in the mid-80s.
Barbra Streisand threw shade at Oprah
It can be assumed that Barbra Streisand isn't all that fond of Oprah, considering that she put the "Yentl" star on blast on her talk show in 2003. That's because Oprah had pointed out how Streisand made Oprah's staff spray-paint her microphone white just to match the sweater she was wearing. While Oprah appeared to be teasing, Streisand corrected her by saying it was actually off-white before explaining, "I like simplicity and monochromatic frames so ... if the mic melts in my sweater ... it just makes the focus on the song."
It got more awkward though, when Streisand's dog began to fidget in her lap. Streisand told her pup, "I know we're going to go. I know you don't like this publicity ... You feel used. You don't want to be used; I know what you mean." That could have implied that she, too, didn't want to be there on the show. And then, when Oprah clarified that Streisand had the mic spray-painted, Streisand seemed more annoyed, tersely replying, "That's right."
Years later, some fans thought Streisand threw shade at Oprah at the 2018 Golden Globes by making an annoyed face during her speech. One viewer tweeted, "Barbra Streisand was hating on Oprah; gave her the stank face during her speech." Another wrote, "Barbra Streisand's face at Oprah's Cecil B. Demille award speech is the petty b**ch in all of us" Yet perhaps the two are "frenemies" because that same year Streisand tweeted a tbt photo with Oprah, writing, "With my pal."
Barbra Streisand was disgusted by Sean Young
Barbra Streisand was apparently livid with Sean Young after the "Escape Room" actor called out Streisand's close friend Warren Beatty. According to the Daily Mail, this all started after Young publicly claimed that Beatty had sexually harassed her and even fired her from a film for refusing his come-ons. Young later revealed on "Dudley and Bob with Matt Show," per Daily Mail, "I auditioned for Barbra Streisand, for 'The Mirror Has Two Faces' ... And when I went to my audition with her, she said to me, 'I think it's disgusting that you talked to the press!"'
For those who don't know, Streisand has a long history with Beatty that dates back to the 1960s. There were even rumors that they had an affair despite both being married. Either way, Streisand didn't like Young bad-mouthing Beatty, and Young implied it was because of her romantic feelings. Young recalled, "I said, 'you think it's disgusting?' And she said, 'I was with Warren Beatty, and I made my mouth fall off!'"
While Streisand was probably annoyed with Young once again, she later brushed off her recollection of that interaction. That's because she said through her representative to TMZ, "I have no memory of ever having interviewed Sean Young, and I do not condone harassment of women." Young had stood by her accusations toward Beatty though, telling The Daily Beast in 2021, "I think the sleazy or difficult part is that he probably thought he was treating me really well."
Barbra Streisand didn't like Trey Parker and Matt Stone mocking her
It's safe to assume that Barbra Streisand isn't a fan of "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone because she seemingly wasn't ok with how their cartoon had poked fun at her. While "South Park" is famous for parodying celebrities, the "Meet The Fockers" star told Mirabella (via Showbiz CheatSheet), "I wasn't even aware of this show until I read in Time magazine that they had used me in a very negative way." It appears that Streisand not only threw shade at the show by saying that she had never heard of it but went on to suggest it was "mean-spirited" since she said she had enjoyed parodies of herself that weren't done like "South Park's" version.
Streisand took it a step further by adding, "I wonder if shows like 'South Park' and 'Beavis and Butt-head' don't add to the cynicism and negativity in our culture, especially in children." She continued, "These youngsters are formulating their attitudes, and maybe they come away feeling that any woman who dares to accomplish something is the incarnation of self-centeredness and greed."
Parker and Stone apparently didn't agree with Streisand and continued to make fun of her in other episodes of "South Park." However, Streisand still later attended their Broadway show, "The Book of Mormon," to the surprise of Stone. He revealed to Esquire, "The cast told me she was there, and I was like, 'No f**king way.'"
Barbra Streisand thought Harvey Weinstein was vulgar
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Barbra Streisand wasn't fond of Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood producer who was convicted of rape in 2020. Yet "The Way We Were" star apparently couldn't stand Weinstein long before his sexual harassment of women in the entertainment industry sparked the "Me Too" movement, considering she told Variety, "I thought he was vulgar." Streisand did have her own bad experience with him in 2014, though, after she turned down his request for the opening night of his Broadway play, "Finding Neverland." She recalled, "He wanted me to come there on his arm and sing a song on the album, I said, 'No. I can't do that.'"
Weinstein was presumably not used to hearing the word "no," so he allegedly claimed to Streisand that he would never collaborate with her again nor send her his films to view at her home. That, of course, made Streisand dislike him even more. "That kind of stupidity. So I thought he was a boorish guy," she said. However, being threatened by a powerful movie mogul had to be hard on Streisand, even at that point in her career.
Fortunately, when discussing the "Me Too" movement at PaleyFest, Streisand said she never experienced sexual harassment from any man, assumedly including Weinstein, on any of her movie sets, according to Variety. She dished, "I wasn't like those pretty girls with those nice little noses. Maybe that's why. I have no idea."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Barbra Streisand resented Frank Pierson
Barbra Streisand had seemingly abhorred late writer and director Frank Pierson ever since she felt forced to hire him for the 1976 remake of "A Star Is Born." You could say she carried that resentment for decades because she didn't miss the chance to call him out at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017, over 40 years after they worked together. When talking about the film, she revealed, per Deadline, "That was tough because I was blackmailed into hiring the director. I hired him to write, and he said he wouldn't do it unless he directed." She continued, "I told him he could have all the credit but that he had to allow my vision to be there."
Streisand didn't stop there since she also criticized how he filmed the movie. "I'd show up, and the cameras would be in [the wrong places]," she said. Of course, Streisand went on to direct some of her other movies, which makes sense, considering that she once told Variety, "I directed because I couldn't be heard."
It seems things got much worse right before the movie hit theaters, though, because Pierson had published an article about how difficult Streisand was to work with. He detailed Streisand's controlling behavior and shared some insight into her personal life. This unsurprisingly enraged Streisand, who later blasted him on Geraldo Rivera for it. She dished, via Barbra Archives, "Pierson's article was so immoral, so unethical, so unprofessional, so undignified, with no integrity, totally dishonest, injurious."
Barbra Streisand complained about Sydney Chaplin
Barbra Streisand clearly liked movie icon Charlie Chaplin's son, Sydney Chaplin, at one point, considering the two reportedly had an affair while starring on Broadway in "Funny Girl" in the 1960s. However, once that ended, things turned sour between them. According to Barbra Archives, Chaplin's understudy, George Reeder, summed it up to biographer James Spada, saying, "It was a scorned affair, and they were at each other's throats." Yet Chaplin appeared to take it harder, since Spada dished, per SF Gate, "He got very angry and tried to vex her on stage. He would whisper 'nose' in her ear during her love songs."
Another cast member, Linda Gerard, reiterated to Spada how bad it was between Chaplin and Streisand, dishing, "He would actually be talking to try to upstage her while she was singing 'People.'" It seemed Streisand eventually hit her breaking point and complained to the actors union about him. When they didn't do anything to help her, though, Streisand took matters into her own hands. Spada explained, "The curtain had a heavy bar in it to keep it taut ... He whispered 'nose' again, and she bit his neck. His head reared up, and he got a concussion."
All in all, there are many celebrities who Streisand can't stand, but it seems that most of them have given her good reason to. And whether some find her difficult to work with or not, she clearly has enough talent and passion to back it up and be a Hollywood legend.